Lyon shifts focus to quality in urban green spaces
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The Lyon Metropolis in France will prioritize the quality of new green spaces over simply increasing their quantity, beginning October 16, 2026.
Currently, Lyon is moving beyond simply adding plants and is now mapping priority areas based on heat exposure, urban density, social vulnerabilities, and existing vegetation.
This change comes alongside the launch of SONAR@Lyon, a research program running from March 2025 to December 2027, uniting six research teams to study the link between nature in the city and public health. Researchers from institutions including VetAgro Sup, INRAE, and Lumière Lyon 2 are using the “One Health” approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health, to evaluate the impact of green infrastructure like parks and wetlands.
They are monitoring vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, and rodents, and the diseases they carry, to understand how urban nature can benefit health without increasing disease transmission. The SONAR@Lyon program also investigates how residents perceive and use green spaces, conducting surveys and workshops in parks like Sergent Blandan and the gardens of Erevan and Ouagadougou.
Ultimately, the program aims to give local governments a method to evaluate green space projects based on multiple factors, helping them decide where and how to build for maximum benefit and minimal risk to public health.
